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DUCATION 

OF THE 

HORSE. 



THE 

EDUCATION 



OF THE 



HORSE 



BY 

WALTER j;-NEAL 



PUBLISHED BY 
WALTER J. XEAL 

19 15 






COPYRIGHT 

1915 

WALTER J. NEAL 



^ '_->- 


©CI.A411683 


^l^A 


SEP 23 1915 




EDICATION 



To 



MAJORP. H. DOWSON 



Who is well-known amongst Horsemen 
as a lover of the horse, owner of 
thousands of fine Animals and of 
exceptional judgment in their selection, 
this small volume is respectfully 
dedicated. 

WALTER J. NEAL 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page No. 11 First touch of the whip. 

Page No. 17 Tailing. 

Page No. 21 Showing position of the horse 

TIED AND with HOBBLES ADJUSTED. 

Page No. 23 Animal subdued. 

Page No. 39 Mr. William J. Glenn on his 

FAVORITE GAITED HORSE, "AD- 
MIRAL." 




^ 



REF A C E 



^^^^ AviNG at various times visited my friend 
Mr. William J. Glenn, of the Piney Knolls 
Stock Farm, Stacey, Montana, who for 
30 \ cars has followed with success the range and 
horse business in its various phases, after many 
conversations on the subject of The Education of 
the Horse I finalh' persuaded him to give me by a 
series of practical demonstrations the correct pro- 
cedure in the training of this noble animal. 

The object is to render him docile without the 
use of elaborate and expensive apparatus, utilizing 
material accessible to the small horse owner. 

The training should be initiated and so consum- 
mated as to involve the smallest amount of labor and 
exertion on the part of the trainer and his subject; 
retaining the perfect qualities desired in such an 
animal. 

It will be found that careful handling is the shorter 
route to the ultimate finish. 

There are many methods in vogue on the range 
and in horse training establishments that leave 
much to be desired from a practical, to say nothing 
of a humane, view-point: such methods only tcnd- 



P A G E 5 



iiig to make the animal nervous, irritable and ever 
after hard to control. 

The horse is one of the most intelligent of God's 
creatures and responds readih' to the human will 
if treated righth'; fully repa}'ing an}' care and atten- 
tion bestowed on his education. 

Handle him roughh' and he never forgets the bad 
treatment received anci which would forever retard 
the realization of the aim of the trainer's ambitions, 
seeking to impart the highest cjualities sought for 
in an educated horse. 

In the following pages I have endeavored to place 
before the public interested my friend's valuable 
experiences, extending over many years and a wide 
territor}', in as concise and plain a manner as possible 
so it will be grasped by the ordinary mind, also 
without any pretense as to its literary merits. 

In order to make my meaning clearer in some 
instances, I personally photographed from actual 
life some of the most important positions, Mr. 
Glenn having taken from the pasture for the pur- 
pose a thoroughbred chestnut filly, three years 
of age, "Red Wings." Such photos will be found 
inserted in their proper sequence. 

There are many people, no doubt, who will wel- 
come this work from the humane side, and it is 
written parth' to this end, and for the benefit of 



PAGE 6 



all lovers of the horse who desire to have a finished, 
educated animal, unimpaired b\- severe treatment, 
retaining his nerves and bod}" in the best condition 
to carry him through his life of usefulness — intel- 
ligent, strong, and with every good qualit}' born 
and bred in him, so trained as to be alwa}'s subser- 
vient to the slightest will of his kind master. 

Yours respectfully. 




Garland, Custer Co., Montana. 



PAGE 7 




ATCHING THE HORSE 




HE better way to catch a horse is with a 
whip, pro\-ided the location is a suitable 
j one, which should be in some enclosure, 
a medium sized corral or in a barn where there is 
a small range of view, so as to exclude as much as 
possible his sighting objects that would draw his 
eye awa}' from his trainer's movements. 

It is very important to receive the animal's whole 
attention; be sure and let nothing interfere with 
this, as should there be any large openings or win- 
dows in the place selected looking out on the pasture 
or feed lot, it might tend to defeat the object in 
view, — prolong his education, making him more 
difficult to handle and it may cause him to plunge 
violent!}' against the bars, sides, or other obstruc- 
tions, thereby risking an injury which at all times 
should be avoided. 

This method should never be practiced in the open 
and is only suited to an enclosure of this kind, the 
necessity for which must be apparent to any one 
from this description. 

Using a four-horse whip: when the animal turns 
away endeavor to hit him just under the fetlock on 



the heel (it should be thoroughly understood that 
under no circumstances strike any part of the body 
except beneath the fetlock on the heel); pause and 
give him time to think it over before proceeding; 
make another move sideways and towards him; 
when he turns, hit him in the same place again and 
it should not need in any horse of nervous tem- 
perament more than five or six sharp blows with the 
whip before he will ofter to face about. Care shoulci 
be taken not to hurry him, but allow him time to 
absorb, as it were, gradualh', the various stages of 
the lesson before hitting him again. 

The horse is more than likely, when he shows 
signs of facing about, to lick his lips with his tongue. 
He is then ready for you to approach, but it must 
be done carefulh', or he will turn in fright; it does 
not of necessit}' follow that he must lick his lips, 
as some less nervous may stand to be approached 
without that. Raising whip stock at intervals in 
front of you, then lower it and bring it towards 
you, taking at the same time short steps in his 
direction and repeating these movements with the 
whip stock until able to touch his nose, (see photo 
page 11), which will serve to more clearly explain 
m}' meaning. This is one of the most critical and 
important points in the horse's first lesson. He will 
hold his breath and by instinct turn from }'ou, as 



PAGE 9 



much to regain his breath as in fright, should you 
hold the whip in contact with his nose for more 
than a short space of time. Withdraw the whip and 
give him time to breathe, then repeat, holding the 
whip stock to his nose a little longer than before. 
When he is contented to have the whip stock touch 
him, then begin to rub him a little with the whip 
stock on the head, ears and neck, gradually ap- 
proaching all the time until you are quite near the 
horse. When he understands that you do not in- 
tend to harm him, then offer him your hand; the 
same movements should then be repeated. He 
will smell )'our hands and more than likeh' hold his 
breath again, so be very careful and not be hasty 
with him until he becomes thoroughly accustomed 
to your touch. 

Do not touch the horse zvith the finger tips extended, 
but instead place the whole hand on him with a 
stroking movement, which will be found to have 
a wonderfully soothing and quieting effect. 

Touching a horse with the linger tips extended is 
practiced by many, causing the animal to get ex- 
cited and temporarily unbalances his nervous system, 
producing irritability, a feature not to be desired 
and totall)- detrimental to his correct training; 
often times this may cause him to strike with his 
front foot, not through any bad trait acquired or 



PAGE 10 




^i^m^S- 



wm 



PAGE 11 



bred in him, but due to the shock produced by this 
unnecessary procedure. It has been Mr. Glenn's 
practice, which he has always found successful, to 
hold the whip in such a position that it is in plain 
view of the animal through this whole lesson. 

After he becomes accustomed to your stroking 
his head, neck, etc., resume the handling of the 
whip and gradually work it over the whole body as 
done with the head, following up with the hand. 
It will usualh" be not more than twenty to thirty 
minutes until you have this accomplished, then 
step in front of )'Our horse, using your whip stock; 
carefully teach him by pressure and by gentle taps, 
never under any conditions severch^ so as to cause 
him pain, to move his head and fore part of his 
body, first to the one side and then to the other. 
As you step about, following closely up, he will turn 
a few feet each wa}' and then stand at your command 
as you raise the whip stock in front of you. Wait 
a few seconds, get }^our halter and once again ap- 
proach him gently; let him become familiar with 
the halter as he did your hand; after he is no longer 
afraid of it, take the halter in both hands and grad- 
ually accustom him to having it slipped over his 
head, buckled and adjusted: now your horse is ready 
to be schooled in leading. 

Take the halter rope, begin as you did with the 



PAGE 12 



whip stock and if found necessary use this rope, 
getting him to step from side to side; when he be- 
comes versed in this, begin teaching him to move all 
the way round with you, first one way and then the 
other, gently inducing him to take a step forward. 
As you complete a few turns in this manner, it 
will be only a few minutes until }'our horse will 
follow you at will. Be very careful not to pull on 
the halter rope at any time very hard whilst thus 
getting him to lead, as, unaccustomed to having 
an}' thing in the nature of a halter adjusted on him, 
it is likely to cause a soreness, thereby lessening his 
entire confidence in you. Confidence of the horse 
in his trainer being the "Corner-Stone" of his educa- 
tion. 



PAGE 13 




^HE "WAR BRIDLE" 




HERE is occasionally a horse of dull tem- 

l J perament that is slow in learning to lead. 

■idd In such cases it is recommended that the 



"war bridle"" be used. To effect this, make a loop 
in a soft rope, large enough to go around his lower 
jaw; pass the rope round behind his ears, bringing 
the end down through the loop, having enough end 
as on all ordinary halters, thus: 




This is a line accessor}* in the hands of a trainer 
of discretion, but must be used with great caution, 
as in the hands of anyone inclined to be rough it 
will be certain to ruin the horse's mouth; and I am 
desired to point out that absolutely light handling 
of the loose end is only permissible — to do other- 
wise will produce the opposite effect sought for. 

PAGE 14 



A little personal experience will here tend to 
emphasize my point: 

"About twelve years ago Mr. Glenn and a fellow 
horseman had occasion to stop at a horse ranch for 
the night. The owner of the ranch and his hired 
man each had undertaken to halter-break an aged 
horse. The horses became sulky and the men's 
anger rising, they abused the animals beyond all 
reason, the owner's horse in particular having his 
ears beaten until they lopped down. Both had 
their heads sore and swollen, being a horrible sight 
even to a western man. 

"Mr. Glenn's companion, a good horseman, having 
previously learned the use of the 'war bridle' from 
him, it was suggested that they each take one of 
these horses and test in the fullest manner possible 
the value of the 'war bridle.' It was agreed to, 
and though the horses had stubbornly refused to 
lead for more than 24 hours, they succeeded in hav- 
ing them follow at will in less than 30 minutes, 
which, considering the fearful condition of the horses, 
exceeded their most sanguine expectations." 




PAGE 15 




AILING 



s FAR as we have gone, so good; but the 
'^I'f^- animal is not yet subdued. We will now 
;^ jb^l therefore proceed to tail him. Pass the 
rope loosely through the halter ring; work gradually 
over the horse's bod\' with the whip stock, accustom 
him to having his tail handled with the whip; then 
pick up his tail with )^our hand, tie the end of the 
halter rope to his tail. In so doing making a square 
knot out of the two. A little difficulty may now 
be expected — the idea is to teach the horse to let 
you have his head as shown in photo on page 17. 
The horse will spin around a few times until he 
becomes somewhat tired, causing you a little work 
and worr)-; but be patient and in a short while he 
will give you his head by the slightest indication 
of a pull. Do not give up until this is accomplished 
on one sicie; change your rope to the opposite side 
and repeat, giving a suitable word of command, but 
soft spoken. This is a very important lesson and 
you really have now a subdued horse. 




PAGE 16 




H 



PAGE 17 




OBBLES 




HE next proceeding is to place the hobbles 
in position. Use the kind herein illustra- 
ted in Fig. 2. They can be made with a 




common gunny sack, as the photograph on page 
21 will show. In making these, open the gunny sack 
out and slit it with a sharp knife diagonal!}^ from 
corner to corner, making two equal parts. Then 
simply tie on as shown in photo, page 21; use a 
stout rope five or six feet in length with a small loop 
in one end, passing it through the hobbles and 
drawing the hind foot a reasonable distance ahead 
of the other. Placing the horse in a position so he 
cannot in any way get away from you, kick or strike 
with his front foot, yet he is standing in a very 



comfortable position without the least strain. Use 
the whip now all about the horse, first easily pop- 
ping it around, gradually increasing until you are 
able to give it sharp cracks all about him without 
any apparent notice on his part. Wc now have a 
horse (unless abused) absolutely fearless of the whip, 
This ends the use of the whip as far as any practical 
utility in the education of the horse is concerned, 
excepting the riding whip or driving whip to gently 
urge him along; its further necessity being only for 
the trickmaster. 



PAGE 19 




RACTICE OF THE WHIP 




|t is realized that it takes long practice 
to properly handle the whip, and it is not 
to be expected that the amateur can rival 
at first the facility of the professional of experience, 
obtained by much thought in the handling of animals 
of various temperaments; but it will be surprising 
how quickly a lover of his work w^ill acquire a suf- 
ficient amount of control by careful attention and 
study. One must bear in mind that patience is 
the foundation of success in this w^ork: without it 
no one can expect to achieve perfect results. 

Putting your whip aside, the subject being still 
hobbled, take several false jumps, as if intending to 
mount. After doing this several times, and when 
A'ou finalh' scramble on his back, he will soon allow 
you to climb all over him at will, a photograph on 
page 23 showing his perfect submission and standing 
in the hobbles in absolute ease and contentment. 
Note the gunny sack hobbles are used here, assum- 
ing that no one would care to go to the expense of 
buying elaborate hobbles unless having a number 
of animals to educate. 

Now proceed to place the saddle, blanket, harness 



PAGE 20 




PAGE 21 



or other equipment on him, intended for riding or 
driving, as the case ma}^ be. Do this many times, 
until you are thoroughly satisfied that he does not 
fiincli or make any objections to their adjustment. 
Mount and remount until he is well schooled to 
that; then bridle him, using the kind of bit that you 
expect to ride or drive him with. Fasten the rein 
loosch' in the hames or the saddle, take ofi' }'our 
hobbles, lead him up a little, remove your halter 
rope. Let him now move freeh^ around the corral 
for at least an hour, reconciling him to the feel of 
the bit. When sufficiently exercised, take the har- 
ness or saddle off, get your hobbles, lead him near 
where you wish to tie him; but be sure it is a secure 
place, fit to tie a horse to. Proceed to fasten the 
hobbles on each hind foot, passing a rope or backhand 
with belly band attached like a bitting rigging 
around the horse's body; use two ropes tied to the 
hobbles, pass them over the belly band and through 
between the horse's front legs, through the halter 
loosely; then tie the horse, not too short; give him 
room, about as much as is usual with the ordinary 
halter. Do almost anything now in front of him 
that would cause him to pull back, raising a blanket 
suddenly or going to any extremes without hitting 
him. 

Repeating these operations a few times, you will 



PAGE 22 




PAGE 23 



have a horse that can be safeh' tied with small 
twine and little danger of him ever pulling back to 
break it. This will give satisfactory results on 
the most confirmed rope breaker that can be found 
and by it impossible to inflict an injury. 

These lessons should all be repeated at least three 
times before the horse is tied in the ordinary way. 

The horse should be saddled or harnessed and 
allowed to use the bit four or five times before 
riding or driving. 

Never ride or drive a horse before he obtains a 
thorough familiarity with the bit; the average horse 
will fight the bit quicker than he will any other part 
of his equipment and often times his bad actions 
are due to this. To neglect the exercise is onh' to 
invite trouble and in some cases disaster. 




PAGE 24 




HE BIT 




HIS is a subject on which much has been 
written by various authorities. Particular 

stress has been hiid on the use of the bit 
in this work, rather than on the exact kind, but 
it is recommended for riding that it should be 
constructed wide enough so as not to cramp the 
sides of the mouth; the cross piece should have 
ample room for the tongue to rest comfortably 
underneath. Any kind of a bit that is severe is 
strongly to be discouraged, for be it known that 
the majorit)' of the horse's bad actions are due to 
the bit, more often than from any other cause. 




PAGE 25 




OUTHING 



T IS a very difficult feat for even an expert 
horseman to properly "mouth" a horse by 
using a severe bit. The mouth, when the 
horse is fully educated, should retain its normal con- 
ditions and whilst responsive to the slightest touch 
should have no fear of it. It is urged to strongly im- 
press on the reader that jerking or in any way harshly 
handling the mouth w\\\ onh' result in a hard-mouthed 
horse or one that will act as if he were devoid of feel- 
ing in this particular. 




PAGE 26 




BACHING TO RIDE 



i"k' 




ET the first lesson be very short, more to 
.^ '"" get hnn used to seeing you on his back 

rather than guiding. "Mount and remount 
often; after getting fairly well acquainted try guid- 
ing him gently. In almost all cases you will find 
the horse willing to turn for you easily one way — it 
may be to the right or left, a peculiarity common to 
the animal. Do not under any circumstances lose con- 
trol of your temper and thereby try to force him to 
turn on the side he seems to object to. This is a 
very important stage in his progression and unless 
you are very cautious it is liable to lead to much 
trouble. Dismount, take your reins and drawing 
his head around as you had previously done, by the 
halter, tie the reins to his tail, not very short but 
enough so that by each move he makes his own 
weight forces him to turn. Then sit down some- 
where and let him have about 10 to 15 minutes of 
this exercise. Go and unfasten him; it will be then 
found that he is quite willing to turn for you; should 
he at any time develop a tendency to resist }'OU 
dismount at once and repeat the lesson. Gently 
urging your horse to take faster steps, working him 



PAGE 27 



up gradually to a trot, then finally to a gallop, but 
use plenty of time for this — too much hurry lengthens 
rather than shortens the way. When he will turn 
readily for }'ou by your pulling on one rein, then 
throw^ a little pressure against his neck with the 
opposite rein and by such alternate movements 
teaching him to guide by neck reining. The horse 
is now, if handled according to these instructions, 
well along towards a finish and by patience and care 
should soon be a source of joy to his owner. 




PAGE 28 




ARD- MOUTHED HORSE 



F the reader chances to have a hard mouthed 
horse that runs away, or is difficult to man- 
age, use an easy bit on him; fix it on your reins 
or hues, as the case may be, so that }'ou have a 
double power on them and note the improvement over 
any kind of bit that is severe. If to the saddle, get 
long reins, buckle them to saddle and run loosely 
through the bit, affording a drawing double pull; the 
easier the bit the quicker the result. 




PAGE 29 





RIVING THE HORSE 



HE same care should be used in driving as in 
riding, as far as mouthing and reining are 
concerned. Put hues on him and teach him 
to respond to them fairly well before hitching. When 
ready to hitch place a good stout strap on one front 
leg below the fetlock, as you would hobbles, such 
strap having attached a ring; tie another ring to the 
harness that is of good size and of rather thick iron, so 
that it will avoid a possibility of cutting the rope. Pass 
a rope through this ring to the one on his leg, through 
that and back to the one on the harness and tie, 
leaving enough to let the rope reach back well to 
the vehicle. By this arrangement you can, if so 
desired, lift his leg with ease and prevent him run- 
ning or kicking, and so gain control without being 
harsh with the bit, it being a most desirable feature 
to have as good a mouth on the driver as on the 
saddler. In the choice of a horse's driving mate 
care should be taken that one is selected free from 
bad manners, such as rubbing the neck yoke with 
the head, champing the bit or otherwise stamping 
around. A young horse will, unless he be excep- 
tionally stupid, acquire in a surprisingly short time 
all the bad habits of his companion. 

PAGE 30 





.XiEXT BEST WAY TO 
CATCH A HORSE 



HE next best way to catch a horse is to rope 
his front legs and throw him down. Put the 
_ hobbles on him and let him rise; the order of 
things is of necessity reversed in one or two essentials, 
it being necessary, of course, to subdue the animal be- 
fore undertaking to lead him. More time will be oc- 
cupied in this than in that recommended, viz., by 
the whip. Work about him as before described, to 
give your horse plenty of time to understand he is 
hobbled. He has learned nothing up to now and if 
you rush him will shift around considerabU". In 
ihis method it is very advisable to construct some 
knee pads and put them in place before letting him 
up; especially is this necessary if the ground be rocky 
or frozen hard-if he should plunge much and falls 
you thus avoid a possible bruise. 



PAGE 31 




HROW^ING A ROPE 



^^|>rr>d~] ()AiE will, no doubt, read these instructions 
li^^^jlj^'- who are not practiced in the art of throwing 
(^^l^^*i)J^ \/d rope. Western men, as a rule, know how^ to 
throw a rope and catch a horse by the legs. To those 
who arc not able to accomplish this ma}' make a loop 
some four feet in diameter and with a rope about 30 
feet in length; hang the loop on a small piece of wire to 
a fence, allowing the lower side of the loop to rest 
on the ground. Then stand aside and hold the long 
end, having someone drive the animal between you 
and the fence so as to snare his fore legs. 




PAGE 32 




OW NOT TO CATCH 
A HORSE 




o confine a horse in a chute or narrow ph^ce 
of any kind is not so very objectionable, but 
catching him in this way is a practice that 
has nothing whatever to recommend it and utterly 
opposed to all ideas of humane treatment. The reason 
for this is that he is more likely to sustain injuries in 
the wa}' of bruises and contusions, owing to possible 
contact with adjacent rough boards, posts, etc., than 
he would otherwise be if thrown on a smooth spot free 
from obstructions. The power of control is thereby 
greater and on the w^iole less dangerous. 

Catching a horse with a rope by the neck is, in 
Mr. Glenn's experience, the most objectionable of 
all methods. Picture to yourself a horse in fright, 
with his whole weight on a rope, neck straining until 
the choking causes his eyes to almost fall out of 
their sockets; is it a wonder that in many cases the 
eyesight is irretrievably damaged.'' Let us consider 
another result — the muscles and ligaments in his 
neck are strained, so that in after years, should }'Ou 
pass your hand o\'er his neck, you will be able to 
detect small indentations or hollows therein, as a 
result of the straining and pulling on the rope. 



PAGE 33 



Such a horse may be a good one, but his treatment 
will so interfere with his neck that he will never 
have the flexibility of muscle action in the neck and 
shoulders he otherwise would have naturally re- 
tained without it. Western men especially, where 
the rope is in so much favor, should give this their 
serious thought. 




PAGE 34 




YING UP THE HIND LEG 




HEN thrown it is quite a general practice 
to place a rope collar on the horse's neck 
and, passing the rope round his hind leg, 
draw it well up towards his shoulder, placing him in a 
very awkward position; this is done so as to subdue 
the animal and prevent his getting away. Domg so 
places a great strain on the loins; in many cases the 
animal is badly injured in this way. My friend, Mr. 
Glenn, relates that in the year 1901 he saw one large 
fine horse in Major P. H. Dowson's corrals so injured 
that he had to be killed, being quite incapable of 
rising from the ground. 



PAGE 35 




HORSE'S NATURE 




ow let us consider how to get along with a 
horse in a companionable sense, as it were. 
Anyone that gives this his close attention 
will find it worthy of much reflection. To the horse, 
good feed and water, as well as good bedding, is appre- 
ciated. His nature responds gladly to any attentions 
you pay him in a higher degree than almost any of us 
have suspected or realized. In the acijustment of his 
harness or other equipment during his working hours, 
these should be placed in position in exactly the same 
order and manner every time, particularly the bridle; 
in putting this on use the same hand to lift it to his 
head. Sometimes when saddling up or harnessing, 
the horse will appear to act strangely, throw up his 
head or go through some unaccountable motions; 
you then wonder why. A little thought will reveal 
that the eflFect is due to the above causes. Accom- 
modate him in these small attentions, which to some 
may appear trivial and repayment on his part will 
be ample anci t^uickly responsive. 



PAGE 36 




ONCLUSION 




RiTiNG from personal knowledge, Mr. 
William J. Glenn commenced his work 
in life in the days long ago when 
the only thought on the range and western stock 
farms in the education of the horse was first 
to throw the horse with a rope, blindfold, and 
let him rise; then to saddle, mount, roughly tear oiT 
the blinds and in a western phrase "let him go to 
it." My friend has really worked through all stages 
and his knowledge herein is the result of long years 
of deliberation and study, acquired in many instances 
by taking the roughest with the rough. 

There is absolutely nothing written in the pre- 
ceding pages that is theory and the greatest pains 
have been taken to eliminate anything that cannot be 
proved by actual facts. 

Anyone who will carefully study and follow direc- 
tions may obtain the desired results with any animal 
of intelligence without having to resort to very harsh 
bits, for by the treatment advocated, such instru- 
ments of torture will have no place in any ranch, 
farm or horse breeding establishments, as where 



PAGE 37 



training is carried out on these lines there will not 
be any animals to need them. 

I follow on another page with a short treatise on 
the gaited horse. 



PAGE 31 




X 



(J 






^ikm 



PAGE 39 




HE GAITED HORSE 



yi 



T IS no easy task to give specific instruc- 
tions as to the development of the different 
gaits in a saddle horse. Horsemen generally 
understand and appreciate the long experience and 
skill required to fully bring out these characteristics. 

Horses not bred for the purpose are exceedingly 
difficult to impart this knowledge to, more so than 
in an animal whose ancestors have for years been 
trained and ridden in five gaits. To those who wish 
further information, and after having subdued and 
rendered the animal perfectly docile and easy to 
handle, the following is an outline of study which is 
hoped w^ill be beneficial, although not perhaps 
wholly instructive, to those whose aim is to delve 
more deeply into this question. 

There is nothing more pleasurable than to have a 
horse who will change his gait at the gentle touch of 
his master and is the acme of comfort for both man 
and animal. He is so far removed from the ordinary 
square trotter as to cause one to pause and consider 
why the perfect gaited horse is not more universally 
used; the satisfaction and pleasure, coupled with 
general utility and traveling capacity, makes him 



PAGE 40 



such a companion to the studious horseman that he 
stancis today without a rival in any kind of locomo- 
tion in existence. 

The first essential to the development of a gaited 
horse is to be quite sure he is well reined. 

Develop his walk under a light, steady pull on 
the reins, until certain that the maximum speed is 
obtained. 

Commence to crowd his w^alk, gently pulling up 
on the reins and slacking again rather suddenly and 
alternately; when he breaks into a trot pull him back 
to a walk, repeating this until you have obtained a 
true balance between a walk and a square trot; you 
then have a "Fox Trot". Be certain that the walk 
and "Fox Trot" are well defined before you try the 
"Rack" or "Singlefoot." See that your horse's feet 
are w^ell trimmed; pare as much off the toes as his 
feet will stand, leaving the heels as high as is con- 
sistent with their being level, care being taken to 
see that the feet are well balanced. Put martin- 
gales on, of the kind that have straps holding rings 
which can be adjusted to any desired length; shorten 
these so that it has a strong tendency to arch his 
neck. Now select some comparatively level road; 
pull-up on your reins, setting your horse well on his 
haunches or rather that it will place his hind legs 
well under him in order that he mav carry the most 



PAGE 41 



of his weight there; urge him forward with the spur 
at the same time, restraining him with the bit, pulling 
in the reins suddenly occasionalh', but not hard 
enough to be painful. This requires considerable 
time and unless your subject is saddle bred, and even 
then, it takes several da}'s to have the rack well 
balanced. 

Then comes the canter, but never under any cir- 
cumstances until every other gait is well established. 

Set your horse on his haunches with a fairly strong 
pull; give him a good, reasonably hard blow with 
the riding whip on the shoulder. Keeping him well 
in hand, }'ou must nerve your horse up a little to 
get started in this; get him into a short, rather ex- 
cited gallop and gradually }'ou can teach him to lift 
his two front feet off the ground almost at the same 
time, rocking from his hind to his front feet in that 
slow, easy going gallop called the canter. 




PAGE 42 



INDEX 

Page 

"Admiral," Illustration 39 

Animal subdued, Illustration 23 

Bridle, war 14 

Bridle, war. Illustration of, Fig, 1 14 

Bit, the 25 

Catching the horse 8 

Conclusion 37 

Dedication 3 

Driving the horse 30 

First touch of the whip. Illustration 11 

Gaited horse 40 

Hobbles 18 

Hobbles, Illustration of, Fig. 2 18 

Hobbles, adjusted. Illustration of 21 

Hard mouthed horse 29 

How not to catch a horse 33 

Horse's nature 36 

Illustrations, list of 4 

Mouthing 26 

Nature of a horse 36 

Next best wa}' to catch a horse 31 

Preface 5 

Ride, teaching to 27 

Rope, throwing a 32 

Practice of the whip 20 

Tailing 16 

PAGE 43 



INDEX — Continued 

Page 

Tailing, Illustration of 17 

Teaching to ride 25 

Tying up the hind leg 35 

Whip, first touch of the 11 

War bridle . 14 

War bridle, Illustration of. Fig. 1 14 

War bridle, personal experience of 15 

Whip, practice of the of 20 



PAGE 44 




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